Most useful Godot Nodes for 3D projects

3D Essential Nodes

Node Type	Description
Node3D	The base node for all 3D nodes. Used for positioning and transforming 3D objects.
MeshInstance3D	Displays a 3D mesh.
Camera3D	Controls the viewport and what is seen in the 3D scene.
Area3D	Used for detecting collisions or overlaps with other Area3D nodes.
CollisionShape3D	Defines the shape of a RigidBody3D or Area3D node for collision detection.
RigidBody3D	Used for 3D physics-based movement and collision detection.

Node Type	Description
DirectionalLight3D	Provides directional lighting in the 3D scene (like the sun).
OmniLight3D	Provides omnidirectional lighting in the 3D scene (like a lightbulb).
SpotLight3D	Provides spotlight lighting in the 3D scene (like a flashlight).

Node Type	Description
AudioStreamPlayer3D	Plays 3D audio, with spatial effects based on its position relative to the camera.

Node Type	Description
Timer	Used for timing events and actions.
Tween	Used for smoothly animating properties of nodes.

Node Type	Description
Control	The base node for all UI elements.
Label	Displays text.
Button	A clickable button.
TextureButton	A button with a texture.
TextureRect	Displays a 2D image.
NinePatchRect	Displays a stretchable 2D image.
LineEdit	A single-line text input field.
TextEdit	A multi-line text input field.
ProgressBar	Displays a progress bar.
CheckBox	A checkable box.
OptionButton	A drop-down list.
PopupMenu	A context menu.
ColorPicker	A color picker.
SpinBox	A number input field with up/down arrows.
HScrollBar	A horizontal scroll bar.
VScrollBar	A vertical scroll bar.
HSlider	A horizontal slider.
VSlider	A vertical slider.
Container	A node that can contain other UI elements.
PanelContainer	A container with a background.
ScrollContainer	A container with scrollable content.
TabContainer	A container with tabs.
VBoxContainer	A container that arranges its children vertically.
HBoxContainer	A container that arranges its children horizontally.
GridContainer	A container that arranges its children in a grid.
MarginContainer	A container that adds margins to its child.
CenterContainer	A container that centers its child.

Here are also some additional node types that can be very useful for various tasks in Godot, especially for 3D games:

Animation and Cinematics

AnimationPlayer: Controls and plays animations on 3D models or other nodes.
AnimationTree: Allows blending and layering of animations for more complex character movement.
Path3D: Defines a path for objects to follow (e.g., cameras, characters).
PathFollow3D: Makes an object move along a Path3D.

Particles

Particles3D: Creates particle systems for effects like smoke, fire, explosions, etc.
CPUParticles3D: A faster, but less visually complex, alternative to Particles3D for when you need many particles.

Navigation

Navigation3D: The main node for handling navigation meshes (navmeshes).
NavigationMeshInstance3D: An instance of a navmesh, allowing characters to find paths to walk on.
NavigationAgent3D: Attaches to a character and lets it use a navmesh to move around.

Other Helpful Nodes

CSGBox3D, CSGSphere3D, CSGCylinder3D: Constructive Solid Geometry nodes for creating complex shapes by combining simpler ones (like adding and subtracting cubes, spheres, and cylinders).
VisibilityNotifier3D: Detects when an object becomes visible or hidden by the camera.
RayCast3D: Casts a ray from a point to detect collisions in the scene.
MultiMeshInstance3D: A more efficient way to render multiple copies of the same mesh (e.g., a forest of trees).
VehicleBody3D: For creating vehicles with realistic physics.

2D Extras (Potentially Useful for UI/HUD Overlays in 3D Games)